Try It You'll Like It: Scrapple

I have decided to start a new feature on this blog to focus attention on foods that you may have tried but didn't like or that you have been afraid to try. I am hoping that this feature will help shed light, and gain interest in some misunderstood or maligned foods. Whether it is you, your spouse or your children who are fussy eaters, I want to get you to stretch your culinary muscle, try something new, some of these foods will be old favorite of mine, while I hope to share some of my adventures in trying new things as well.

My first installment is about the much maligned scrapple. For those of you who may not be familiar with scrapple, it is a Pennsylvania Dutch/ German dish, mainly cooked for breakfast that is made from pork and cornmeal. The dish originated as a porridge made on butchering day, but evolved into a dish that was formed into a loaf, and now is sliced and fried. The Pennsylvana Dutch name for this dish is panhas (PON-hoss). It is still called that and sold under that name in German and Pennsylvania Dutch markets. However, because it was made with scraps of pork, it became known as scrapple, and that name stuck.

Many people who will not eat scrapple because it is made of pork bits and pieces and the dreaded offal (eat that, Ruhlman!), but scrapple is very similar in taste and texture to polenta, actually, it is a lot like polenta with little bits of meat (and some fat) mixed in. To prepare scrapple, slice and dredge in flour, and fry in oil or butter, turning to get a brown and crispy outside crust. While it is not exactly diet food (although Rapa says their scrapple is 88% fat free!), in my opinion, there is nothing like a piece of scrapple, with its crisp exterior and the soft and grainy interior. The traditional way to eat scrapple is with apple butter, but some (blasphemers) eat it with ketchup. Scrapple is a great alternative to other breakfast meats, the perfect counterpoint to a sunny-side egg.

As a big fan of scrapple (my Mom's family was of German descent and so scrapple was in their blood) I decided to try to make my own scrapple a couple of years ago. While it is not as complicated or technically demanding as making your own sausage or home cured bacon a la charcuterie, but it does take time and patience. A cut of pork with some fat (like shoulder) is best

Philadelphia - Style Scrapple

2 pounds pork shoulder (or pork butt) (I have used leftover pork butt for this)
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon sage
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper

Cut up pork into chunks. Place the pork, sage and cayenne in a stock pot and cover with water. Simmer for about 2 to 3 hours or until meat falls apart. Drain and reserve stock.
Remove meat from bone and chop all the meat with a knife. Measure 5 cups of stock and return to pot. Bring it to a simmer; add meat, cornmeal, salt and pepper, and stir constantly until thick and smooth, about 15 to 30 minutes. Stir in chopped meat to incorporate fully. Pour mixture into 2 loaf pans and refrigerate until completely chilled. Un-mold scrapple. To serve, slice, dredge and fry until golden brown and crisp on both sides.

Whether you make your own, or buy scrapple at your supermarket (brands like Rapa and Habbersett can be found in stores or online), give it a try. I think you'll like it!